Floor covering



Sept. 2, 1941. G. R. CUNNINGTON FLOOR COVERING Filed Nov. 12, 1938 FIGJ.

. INVENTOR GEORGE R.CUNNINGTON BY W ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 2, 1941 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George R. Cunnington,

Mich., assignor to National Automotive Fibres, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 12,- 1938, Serial No. 240,199

3 Claims. (Cl. 154-49) The present invention relates to a rug and more particularly to a rug intended for use in an automotive vehicle which is decorated and protectively bound in a novel manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rug or carpet having its edges bound by decorative means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rug or carpet having decorative bands of formed material extending thereacross.

More specifically it is an object of the present invention to provide a rug or carpet having its ends bound with decorative strips of vulcanized rubberous material.

Other objects of the invention will .be apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a rug or carpet made according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line;

22, Fig. 1; H

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 33, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a die adapted to form. the edge binding disclosed herein.

. The present invention contemplates the manufacture of rugs or carpets for floor covering in automotive vehicles. In the past such rugs or carpets have been subject to the criticism that the edges are apt to ravel or as an alternative expensive and unsightly edge binding was employed.

According to the present invention rugs or carpets for floor covering in automotive vehicles are simultaneously decorated and edge bound by .permanently attaching strips of decorative,,mavterial thereto. Preferably these strips of maberous composition. In order to impart a decorative efiect thereto, the strip H is formed during or prior to vulcanization. in a predetermined pattern. .Inthe embodiment illustrated I have shown a pair of parallel beads l3 extending lengthwise of the strip.

The edges of the floor covering have a decora- Grosse Pointe Park,

tive binding strip vulcanized thereto. This strip ll, indicated best in Fig. 3, extends slightly beyond the edge of the floor covering as indicated at M, and in addition has decorative beads or the like l5 formed thereon.

In manufacturing the improved floor covering-a flat strip of uncured rubberous material is placed along the edge of the floor covering. The assembly is then placed in a die such as indicated in Fig. 4. This die comprises a base or plate It which is preferably flat and a heated die I! formed with recesses l8 adapted to mold the rubberous material into the beads I5 previously referred to. In addition the die I1 is provided with sharp knife edges l9 and 20 for the purpose of cutting any projecting portion of the strip of rubberous material. I! and if desired the plate l6 are heated by suitable means, and the application of-heat and pressure serves to vulcanize the strip II. This vulcanization causes the strip II to retain its molded form-and in addition results in a permanentbond between the strip and the floor covering.

It will be appreciated that any projecting portions of rubberous material which extend beyond the knife edges l9 and.2ll will not be-subjected to heat andaccordingly will not be vulcanized to the floor covering. It will therefore be possible to remove such projecting portions leaving the vulcanized strip with -a ruled edge.

As 'will be understood, the rubberous material during its vulcanization becomes softened with the result that the pile of the floor covering becomes imbedded to some extent in the lower portion of the rubberous material. At the same time the rubberous material is caused to flow through the pile so that the bond between the rubberous material and the body portion of the floor covering is effected through the pile formation.

It will be understood that the decorative bands I! shown in section in Fig. 2 are formed substantially inthe same manner as the edge bindings H. For this purpose a die assembly corresponding to that shown in Fig. 4 will be employed.

The strips of rubberous material are relatively thin and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 their upper surface is below the top surface of the pile. This contributes materially to the effectiveness of the decoration, as will be readily apparent.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clear-ness of understanding only, and

The die member no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art. L

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A woven pile'floor covering having a base fabric and a pile, an edge binding for said floor covering comprising a rubber strip overlying and extending beyond the edge of said floor covering, said strip holding down the pile therebeneath along the edge of said floor covering and bein vulcanized through said pile to said base fabric.

2. A woven pile floor covering having a base fabric and a pile, an edge binding for said floor covering comprising a rubber strip overlying and extending beyond the edge of said floor covering, said strip holding down the pile therebeneath along the edge of said floor covering and being vulcanized through said pile to said base fabric, the extending portion of said rubber strip extending downwardly along the edge of said base fabric to provide an extending flap adapted to rest on the floor.

3. An edge binding for a woven pile floor covering having a base fabric and pile thereon comprising a strip of rubber overlying the edge of said floor covering having the pile therebeneath matted down and embedded therein and being vulcanized through said pile to the base fabric, a portion of said strip extending downwardly along the edge of said base fabric to the bottom thereof, said strip provided with a flexible flap extending outwardly from said portion,

the bottom of said flap being in the plane of the bottom of said base fabric.

GEORGE R. CUNNINGTON. 

